Interpersonal neural synchrony when predicting others’ actions during a game of rock-paper-scissors

Author(s)
Ezgi Kayhan, Trinh Nguyen, Daniel Matthes, Miriam Langeloh, Christine Michel, Jing Jiang, Stefanie Hoehl
Abstract

As members of a social species, we spend most of our time interacting with others. In interactions, we tend to mutually align our behavior and brain responses to communicate more effectively. In a semi-computerized version of the Rock-Paper-Scissors game, we investigated whether people show enhanced interpersonal neural synchronization when making explicit predictions about others’ actions. Across four experimental conditions, we measured the dynamic brain activity using the functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) hyperscanning method. Results showed that interpersonal neural synchrony was enhanced when participants played the game together as they would do in real life in comparison to when they played the game on their own. We found no evidence of increased neural synchrony when participants made explicit predictions about others’ actions. Hence, neural synchrony may depend on mutual natural interaction rather than an explicit prediction strategy. This study is important, as it examines one of the presumed functions of neural synchronization namely facilitating predictions.

Organisation(s)
Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology
External organisation(s)
Italian Institute of Technology, Universität Potsdam, Max-Planck-Institut für Kognitions- und Neurowissenschaften, Leipzig University of Applied Sciences, Universität Leipzig, University of Iowa, Scientific Software Center
Journal
Scientific Reports (Nature Publisher Group)
Volume
12
No. of pages
11
ISSN
2045-2322
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-16956-z
Publication date
07-2022
Peer reviewed
Yes
Austrian Fields of Science 2012
501014 Neuropsychology, 501011 Cognitive psychology
Keywords
ASJC Scopus subject areas
General
Portal url
https://ucris.univie.ac.at/portal/en/publications/interpersonal-neural-synchrony-when-predicting-others-actions-during-a-game-of-rockpaperscissors(f7e46700-e6c5-41e9-8c90-ff8e2aa9ac23).html